15,000-member Gond Community in Bhatkal demands ST status; Submits memorandum to CM

Bhatkal: Members of the Gond tribal community in Bhatkal taluk of Uttara Kannada district have submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking issuance of Scheduled Tribe (ST) caste and validity certificates, which they say are their constitutional right.

The Gond community, with a population of more than 15,000 across Bhatkal taluk, said it has been fighting for several decades to secure the certificates. Community leaders stated that the group remains educationally, socially and politically backward, with many families living in hilly areas and depending on daily wage labour and forest produce for their livelihood.

According to community representatives, the Gond tribe of Uttara Kannada district was included in the Scheduled Tribe list under the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, and was also mentioned in the 1956 Mysore Gazetteer. However, they alleged that administrative confusion and technical issues have made it difficult for eligible members to obtain caste certificates.

Leaders of the community expressed dissatisfaction with revenue authorities, alleging that Tahsildar offices are delaying issuance of certificates by citing minor spelling differences such as “Gond” and “Gonda” in school records.

They pointed out that while rules require authorities to consider tribal customs, traditions, clan deities and other ethnological characteristics rather than relying solely on school documents, these provisions are not being properly implemented.

The community also stated that historical records mention their presence in the region for nearly 300 years.

In the memorandum, the community alleged that despite Supreme Court rulings discouraging unnecessary third-party interference in caste validity matters, certain vested interests are filing false objections in an attempt to deny them their rights.

The community has made the following key demands:

Immediate issuance of caste certificates based on tribal characteristics under Rule 3-A(3)(b) of the Karnataka SC/ST Rules, 1992.

Consideration of local inquiries and field verification instead of rejecting claims over minor discrepancies in school records.

Prevention of third-party interference and protection of the community’s constitutional rights.

Among those present were Raghavendra Durgayya Gond, S. T. Gond, Ganapati Gond, advocate Manjunath Gond, honorary president Somayya Gond Kuntavani, Narayana Gond Kattinamaki, Madeva Gond, Badiya Gond Kuntavani and Basavayya Gond.